Born Robert Meredith Willson in Mason City, IA. Best-known for The Music Man which opened to rave reviews on Broadway in late 1957. It was the musical story of a lovable scamp of a con man trying to take in - and being taken in by - the residents of a mythical 1912-era Iowa town called River City. River City was based on Mason City, Iowa, in which Willson grew up. Willson had other Broadway successes: In 1960 The Unsinkable Molly Brown, about a poor girl who came into mining riches; and in 1963 Here's Love, a musical version of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. Another musical, 1491, about Christopher Columbus, got into production later but was not a hit. Willson planned but never completed a show based on the life of adventurer Jack London. The musicals came late in a long and already successful career. Willson was 55 when The Music Man opened on Broadway. He was 60 when it came out as a motion picture. Molly Brown, like Music Man, became a film. By that time Willson had performed in or conducted some of the top symphonic orchestras in the country, had composed numerous musical works, written several books, been music director for two radio networks and in motion pictures, become a widely known radio personality and headed the World War II Armed Forces Radio Service. In total he composed more than 400 pieces for orchestra, band, piano and voice, including two symphonies and a Mass setting. Visit the Internet Movie Database for a listing of the films and TV shows that have used Willson's music.  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Original Score) 1940: THE GREAT DICTATOR  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1941: THE LITTLE FOXES 2 nominations